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Independent Education for UK consumers

Financial advice,
explained in
plain English.

Our position

  • We educate.
  • We never advise.
  • We never sell.
  • We never take a cut.

Independent guides, free calculators and a step-by-step toolkit for finding — and properly vetting — an FCA-authorised financial adviser.

Browse the guides How to vet an adviser
Disclosure The ledger
Product recommendations
None
Your details sold
Never
Undisclosed incentives
0
Start here Four questions § 01

The questions everyone starts with

Most people don't know whether they need an adviser, what one actually does, what one costs, or how to tell a good one from a salesperson. That's the gap this site exists to close.

  1. 01 Do I need an adviser at all? An honest framework: when paying for advice earns its fee, when free guidance is enough, and a five-question self-test. GuideRead the guide
  2. 02 What advice actually is The legal difference between regulated advice and guidance, what advisers can and can't do, and which protections only apply to authorised firms. GuideRead the guide
  3. 03 What advice really costs Around 70% of advisers don't publish fees. Our benchmark does: the going rates with sources cited, and a calculator that turns any quote into pounds. BenchmarkSee the benchmark
  4. 04 How to vet an adviser A step-by-step walkthrough of the FCA Register, the questions to ask in a first meeting, and the red flags that should end the conversation. ToolkitOpen the toolkit
Calculators Eleven instruments § 02

Run your own numbers

Simple, transparent tools with every assumption stated. They show how the maths works — they don't tell you what to do with it.

No.CalculatorAreaWhat it showsWorked example
01 Compound growth Saving & investing What regular saving could grow into, and how much of the final pot is growth rather than contributions. £250/mo · 25y · 5% → £148,877 02 Retirement gap Retirement Where your pension pot is heading against the pot a target retirement income would typically need. Target £30k/yr → gap £182,000 03 Pension tax relief Retirement What a monthly pension contribution really costs you after tax relief — and what actually lands in the pot. £400 in pot costs £320 · 20% 04 Mortgage repayments Property Monthly payments, total interest over the term, and what regular overpayments could change. £250k · 25y · 4.5% → £1,390/mo 05 Fee impact Fees The long-term difference between low and high annual charges on the same pot. It's bigger than most people think. 0.25% vs 1.5% · 30y → −£96,000 06 Drawdown sustainability Retirement How long could a pension pot last? Model withdrawals, growth and inflation and find the depletion age. £300k · £18k/yr → lasts to 89
Examples are illustrative, not projections. Every assumption is editable inside each tool. All 11 calculators
Pathways Four situations § 03

Where are you right now?

Thirty-seven guides is a library, not a path. Pick the situation that sounds like yours and follow the sequence.

In numbers What this site is § 04
37
in-depth plain-English guides
11
free calculators, assumptions stated
0
hidden incentives — our funding is public
100%
education — zero product recommendations
Funding Who pays § 05

You should know who pays for the website you're reading.

What funds this siteStatus
Display advertising, labelledActive
Brand sponsorship, labelledActive
Calculator licensing to firmsActive
Disclosed adviser introductionsPlanned
How we make money, in full
What we refuseStatus
Paid placement or rankingsRefused
Selling or passing on your detailsRefused
Product commissionsRefused
“Best buy” tables for regulated productsRefused

i.

We never recommend products

No fund picks, no pension provider rankings, no "best buy" tables for regulated products. Personal recommendations are regulated advice — that's an FCA-authorised adviser's job, not ours.

ii.

Your details are never for sale

No auction-style "get matched" funnels that sell you to the highest bidder. We teach you to find and verify an authorised adviser yourself on the FCA's own register — and if we ever offer an introduction to an advice firm, it will be one named, FCA-authorised partner, our fee disclosed up front, and only ever at your request.

iii.

We show our funding

Advertising and brand sponsorship, clearly labelled, with no influence on content — explained in full on our how we make money page.

Worth repeating: FinancialAdvisor.co.uk is an education site. We are not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, our content is not regulated financial advice, and using this site does not give you access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. For a personal recommendation, see an FCA-authorised adviser — our toolkit shows you how to find and check one.

The letter Fortnightly · Free · Education only § 06

The Plain Money Letter

One short email a fortnight: a money concept explained properly, a calculator worth running, and what's changing in UK personal finance. Education only — never product promotions.

Free. Unsubscribe any time. We never share your address — see our privacy policy.